This invention is directed to a non-contacting method of cleaning surfaces by removing small particulate matter, on the order of a few microns, therefrom.
In the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits in which a semiconductor substrate is subjected to various lithographic processes, it is necessary that the substrate surface be kept as clean as possible to minimize the number of defects in the final product and, it is also necessary that the methods of cleaning are not destructive to the substrate surface in any way. This invention provides a simple, non-contacting and effective way to clean particulates of a size as low as 1 or 2 microns from these substrate surfaces.
While this invention will be described in connection with cleaning of semiconductor substrate surfaces, it is understood that this invention may be used wherever it is necessary to remove small particulates from a surface.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a non-contacting method of removing very small particulate material from surfaces.